Passenger rights

Information on passenger rights in passenger transport (EU Regulation No. 1177/2010) Rights in the event of delay, interruption, cancellation of the journey.
In the event of cancellation or delay of a departure, the carrier shall inform passengers as soon as possible (no later than 30 minutes after the scheduled departure time) of the expected departure and arrival time. If the departure is cancelled or is expected to be delayed by more than 90 minutes, passengers shall normally be offered snacks, meals or refreshments free of charge in reasonable relation to the waiting time.
If overnight accommodation is necessary, the carrier shall, where practicable, offer passengers suitable accommodation on board or ashore free of charge (limited to EUR 80 per passenger per night for a maximum of three nights ashore). If a departure is cancelled or delayed by more than 90 minutes, the carrier shall immediately offer passengers either re-routing (at no extra charge) or a refund of the ticket price and, if necessary, a free return journey to the place of departure.

Passengers are entitled to compensation in addition to transport in the event of late arrival. The compensation shall amount to at least 25% of the fare in the event of a delay of at least:one hour for a scheduled journey of up to four hours two hours for a scheduled journey of more than four hours and up to eight hours three hours for a scheduled journey of more than eight hours and up to 24 hourssix hours for a scheduled journey of more than 24 hoursIf the delay is more than twice the times specified above, the compensation shall amount to 50% of the fare.
The carrier is not liable if the passenger was informed of the cancellation or delay before purchasing the ticket, if the passenger is responsible for the cancellation or delay, or if the cancellation or delay was caused by weather conditions that affect the safe operation of the ship or by extraordinary circumstances that cannot be prevented despite all reasonable measures that hinder the provision of the passenger transport service.These rights do not apply to passengers with tickets with open travel dates as long as no departure time is specified, unless they have a timed ticket.

Rights of disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility
Carriers may not refuse to issue a ticket or offer tickets with a surcharge on the basis of a disability or reduced mobility of persons as such. A refusal may only be considered in order to comply with applicable safety requirements or if the design of the ship or the infrastructure and facilities of the port make safe embarkation, disembarkation or transport impossible. In this case, the carrier shall explain the reasons and make every reasonable effort to offer an acceptable transport alternative.
Special requirements for carriage must be communicated to the contracting party at the latest when the contract of carriage is concluded. The carrier is only obliged to provide assistance if the disabled person contacts the carrier at least 48 hours before the assistance is required and arrives at the designated contact point no more than 30 minutes before the embarkation time or no later than 30 minutes before the scheduled departure time; otherwise, the carrier will use its best endeavours to make the journey possible.

Complaints
A complaint must first be submitted to the carrier within two months of the actual or planned completion of the journey. The carrier must inform the passenger of the progress of the complaint within one month of receiving it. The final response must be provided within two months of receipt of the complaint. If further clarification is required, söp - Schlichtungsstelle für den öffentlichen Personenverkehr, Fasanenstraße 81, 10623 Berlin, Tel: 030/6449933-0, kontakt(at)soep-online.de,www.soep-online.de.

Enforcement centre for passenger rights: Eisenbahn-Bundesamt (EBA), Heinemannstraße 6, 53175 Bonn, Tel: 0228/30795-400, fahrgastrechte@eba.bund.de,
http://www.eba.bund.de/fahrgastrechte. Further information on the wording of passenger rights can be found at: eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do